Blog - Zoot Publishinghttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/Tue, 16 Jan 2018 02:56:10 +0000en-AUSite-Server v6.0.0-12979-12979 (http://www.squarespace.com)Reading, writing, publishing, boardgames, paper electronics, technology <br/>... latest news and views from Zoot PublishingBuilding a Business Based on the Life You Want to LeadJacintaTue, 07 Nov 2017 11:58:03 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/3vrI2f02NdI/building-a-business-based-on-the-life-you-want-to-lead54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:5a0035136c3194747a7c6944Running a business and living the lifestyle you want can be seen as
mutually exclusive. Maintaining the right balance, while meeting the
changing goals of both, can be seen as a talent. But shifting focus away
from the bottom line can lead to a better outcome, professionally and
personally. Two entrepreneurs share their ongoing journey toward mastering
this art.
Excerpt from XRDS article by Chris “Akiba” Wang and Jacinta Plucinski.
Read the full article here.
Since starting Zoot Publishing, I've learnt a lot about myself, writing,
and the realities of being an author and running your own business. As a
business owner you need a diverse stack of skills - above and beyond the
skills you need to create your book or product. You need marketing, sales,
distribution, shipping & logistics, operations, finance, legal and HR.
You also need a lot of time, energy and motivation to learn it all this
whilst also trying to keep your head above water. It's scary, fulfilling,
exhilarating and demoralising all at once. And because there's always so
much to do, it's easy to lose sight of things that are important to you .
In May this year, Akiba and I wrote an article for XRDS magazine published
by ACM (Association for Computing Machinery). In the article we talked
about how most business plans prioritise business goals over lifestyle
goals, and how we're trying to do the opposite. We discuss the journey that
got us to this point, the specific ways we're doing it in our respective
industries, and the challenges we still face. It's not easy, and at (many)
times it's stressful, but it is worth it.
The article was selected as a featured article, and we're were honoured to
be included in this issue along with other contributors like Limor
"LadyAda" Fried of Adafruit, Nathan Seidle of Sparkfun, Joi Ito of MIT
Media Lab, and Jie Qi of ChibiTronics.
Although the issue is behind the ACM paywall, authors can upload their
articles to their website. It's a fairly long article (3000 words), so grab
your beverage of choice, get comfy and enjoy :)
Read on ... !

Running a business and living the lifestyle you want can be seen as mutually exclusive. Maintaining the right balance, while meeting the changing goals of both, can be seen as a talent. But shifting focus away from the bottom line can lead to a better outcome, professionally and personally. Two entrepreneurs share their ongoing journey toward mastering this art.

By Chris “Akiba” Wang and Jacinta Plucinski

There’s a saying that no one on their deathbed ever wished they spent more time at the office. We agree. We also believe dedicating yourself to a business you believe in, a business that will provide for you and make an impact, is incredibly fulfilling. However the time and energy required to build your own business can come at the expense of the very things that life is about—like family and friends, health, pursuing your curiosities, and more.

From our experience, business plans focus on things like products and services, competitive advantages, and market analysis; ignoring the impact the business has on the personal lives of owners or employees. In other words, business plans prioritize business goals over lifestyle goals. But when building your own business, why not prioritize your lifestyle goals instead?

Rather than having business goals and decisions define our companies, our lifestyle goals and decisions can define our businesses.

THE AHA! MOMENT

AKIBA: I originally started Freaklabs because I wanted to go my own independent way. Freaklabs originally specialized in embedded wireless technologies, which was quite successful around 2007. It started out as a traditional technology business with the main purpose of maximizing profit. At the time, I didn’t have greater goals or motives other than financial independence.

I put together a rough business plan describing what I would be designing, how I would grow the company, and the millions I’d be making within a specific time frame. In my naiveté, there were many things I didn’t consider. I painted my target audience as broadly as possible. Phrases like “I only need to reach 0.1 percent of the market to hit millions of dollars in revenue” rang in my head. The fatal flaw with this approach is when you design something for everyone, nobody wants it. At the time, I believed I was two years away from reaching a million dollars in revenue. With this mindset, spending money on small things seemed insignificant. Most of all, I ignored many personal issues that would ultimately affect the business.

One of the biggest mistakes I made in my business plan was neglecting to have a greater goal that I strongly believed in. Viewing a business simply as a revenue generator gets old quickly. When the hard times come, without a passionate belief in what you’re doing, it’s easy to fall into personal crises such as depression or despair.

Needless to say, due to incorrect assumptions about my target audience size and uptake, as well as numerous rookie mistakes, like not properly managing inventory levels, within a few years, the business was in trouble and I was under tremendous financial strain. This only added to the amount of strain on my marriage at the time, which eventually fell apart. After my divorce, it took me years of reflection, experimentation, and picking up the pieces of my life, before I could start designing again. The big lesson for me was that business plans shouldn’t simply be a cold, calculated financial statement.

While many people start with a lot of energy and work long hours, fewer plan how to motivate themselves when depressed, uninspired, and juggling bills.

Upon starting a business, you experience emotional highs and lows for months to years as you try to stabilize things. Much like a marathon, the inner game of maintaining hope, motivation, and confidence becomes excruciatingly important.

My current approach has a much stronger emphasis on my personal beliefs such as the importance of environmental monitoring, having clear, measurable goals, and de-emphasizing profit as a key metric in exchange for things like lifestyle, travel, and family. My business is now an expression of my beliefs, opinions, and values.

JACINTA: I hesitated a very long time before starting my own business, mainly because I believed the goal of a business was to make money and grow as large as it could, and I didn’t want to spend my life working toward this.

In the business world, the metrics for success are viewed in economic terms, like profit, growth, market value, and so on. Working toward such goals doesn’t fit into the kind of life I want.

I want a life where I have the time, focus, and energy to spend with loved ones; to pursue my curiosity; to learn and develop new skills; and to work on non-business related projects that are important to me like growing food, collating soil and temperature data,and experimenting with agricultural technology. I want to travel and experience as much of the world as I can; to eat well, sleep enough, exercise, and enjoy downtime and the simple, fulfilling, everyday things.

Throughout my career I’ve looked for jobs or work that would align with these goals. I’ve worked for startups, government, multinational corporations, small businesses, social enterprises, and as a freelancer. I’ve tested myself in different roles and brands, and rarely took a position where I didn’t believe in the “higher something” the organization or brand was trying to achieve.

At each organization, I found a distinction between work and personal life that collided with how I wanted to live my life. Business was always encouraged to take precedence over personal lives, and balancing the two was the responsibility of the individual.

The closest I came to incorporating my life goals and principles was when I worked with a social enterprise. The social enterprise was an online and offline publication that showcased the stories of people who had a vision to make their world a better place, and were courageous, for various reasons, in pursuing that vision. It ran according to principles I believed in, allowed me to work remotely, learn and explore topics I am interested in, and meet inspiring people. As I was an Associate Partner, I also had the autonomy to make decisions. However, it was a constant struggle to keep it afloat financially, and I needed to supplement it with other income. It seemed business would always clash with the way I wanted to live my life.

After the social enterprise closed, I had time and resources to put toward projects that I wanted to do. As I was experienced in creating content, I decided to write a “choose your own adventure” style picture book for my nieces. After the book was ready, the reactions it received made me realize there is an audience and gap in the market for the type of content I enjoy creating. This was the beginning of Zoot Publishing. I also began to realize that by being the decision maker in all aspects of the business, I could craft a business that fit best to my other interests. Zoot Publishing is still in its infancy, but I already have a clearer vision for how it fits into my life better than any business or position I took in the past. Having to make so many decisions made me realize the incredible freedom, and responsibility, of running a business.

One of the most valuable things I learned is each business decision I make, not only defines the business, but also contains a set of values and priorities that defines me as a person, and the kind of life I’m creating for myself.

I realize my business can enable a life that would make me content, and be a vehicle through which I could both create and contribute something meaningful to the world in my own way. For me, meaning comes from leaving things in a better state than the state I find them. I push toward this by utilizing more responsible printing practices or creating diverse characters that are more inclusive and representative.

With a meaningful business and life, comes an intrinsic sense of “heading in the right direction.” When my work aligns with what I want from life overall, I have the stamina to stick with the business in the long run.

It doesn’t always fit neatly and contradictions still exist such as working long hours even when I need more sleep and rest. However there is a peace of mind from knowing the goals are life goals, not business goals.

FINANCE

AKIBA: Finance is probably one of the most important aspects of a lifestyle plan. Many people give up on their ideal lifestyle because they don’t believe they can afford it.

There’s no magic wand for dealing with finances. Typically lifestyle businesses wouldn’t qualify for venture investments so finance is handled the good old fashioned way: reducing expenses and increasing revenue.

Revenue is important no matter what type of business you run, but reducing expenses is equally important. I always look at the ratio of my fixed costs to my revenue. A healthy ratio is to have fixed costs (rent, bills, and regular monthly expenses) at around 20-30 percent of income. At 20 percent, there’s money for growth as well as money to save while still covering costs. Around 30 percent still allows you to spend for growth, but there won’t be much to save. At 40 percent, you’re pretty much covering costs. Beyond that is pretty much the equivalent of living paycheck-to-paycheck, or even having a negative net income. These ratios will differ based on spending habits, tax brackets, cost of living, and other factors so you will need to tailor them for your own situation.

In my case, I made the conscious decision years ago to live in the countryside and maintain a sustainable lifestyle, both financially and environmentally. There were many extra costs associated with living in an urban setting such as higher rents, going out more, maintaining appearances, transportation, etc. Renting a farm and living in the countryside allowed me and my girlfriend to cut costs drastically and maintain a higher quality of life surrounded by nature in a stress-free environment. Rent was the highest expense while living in the city so moving to the countryside was the equivalent of receiving a few thousand dollars every month.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

JACINTA: I knew my business would be closely integrated with my life, and so I wanted my business to be something that would bring my boyfriend and I closer. We support each other’s product development and run workshops together. This gives us more time together and a better understanding of what’s important to each other.

Not only does Zoot Publishing create books and games, we also conduct workshops on the power of choice, storytelling with paper and electronics, writing, publishing, and printing.

In our product development, we express our values through both the story content and the production.

For example, our stories are mysteries that encourage curiosity and observation, with diverse characters and proactive heroines. Agency is also expressed in the “choose your own adventure” format, which gives the reader responsibility for the story.

I’m concerned about our environment and my goal is to minimize my personal and professional impact on it. When we develop products, it’s with a full lifecycle in mind. What happens to the books once they’re read? Where do they go?

We reduce the number of print runs and the waste created by having excess stock. We also encourage readers to pass on the books after they’re finished with them by encouraging them to write a message in the book to the next reader. We ask the readers to donate the book to their local library. We also raise awareness of the value of libraries in general through social media. This production development cycle is still a work in progress, but we believe that small steps make a difference.

MARKETING

AKIBA: I once mocked marketing as a skill that requires no skill. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

I’ve come a long way in understanding where marketing fits in my business. It’s probably the most important aspect of business, but nobody ever told me how it could be done ethically, morally, and as a form of self-expression.

I grew up thinking marketing was the art of selling people things they didn’t want. Terms like direct marketing, telemarketing, network marketing, or internet marketing didn’t matter to me. For me, they were just code words for scam-like businesses.

Marketing now permeates my business in many areas, but it’s done in a way that is meaningful to me. In contrast to how I originally started FreakLabs, the rebirth of Freaklabs required a lot of reflection on what was meaningful to me. I discovered I really care about two things: the environment and arts. With that as my guide, I decided to separate my products and design efforts into two separate product lines. The Freaklabs line focuses on equipment and hardware for outdoor environmental monitoring and research; and the re-branded Illuminado product line focuses on theater technology for performers. My interests influenced my marketing decisions, and those decisions influenced the business structure. By separating the products into two separate product lines with narrower audiences, it allows me to focus my marketing efforts to specific audiences relevant to each line. It also allows me to target my designs and features to needs my audience might have. Most importantly, I’m very passionate about those two areas because I believe they make a difference in the world. One of the interesting implications of this way of thinking is the realization that I don’t need to cater to all customers. I no longer feel the need to push myself to appeal to the broadest possible audience and come up with generic designs.

By focusing on a more specific audience, I allow myself to make bolder decisions in my designs.

I’ve added features that allowed my ideal customers, i.e., people interested in environmental monitoring, to instantly recognize it was targeted at them. Interestingly enough, sales increased without me increasing my marketing effort. I started getting much more business via word-of-mouth sales and returning customers.

My view about marketing has also changed my view of travel. Rather than traveling to trade shows or events, my girlfriend and I now plan our travel to places that have meaning to us. As family is a big part of our lives, we try to create markets for both our products wherever we have family. This consists of community outreach, workshops, in-person appearances, and finding local distributors in those areas. We tailor our marketing to address local needs and express dedication to each area in a unique way. Some examples are running local workshops in areas near hackerspaces, makerspaces, and community centers, as well as giving talks to local communities, schools, and clubs. The benefit of doing things this way is that we can build our businesses, and spend more time with our families and strengthen family bonds.

OPERATIONS AND MANUFACTURING

JACINTA: My boyfriend and I both work in manufacturing. As manufacturers we’re part of an industrial machine that uses natural resources.

If we claim we care about the environment, we need to be responsible for the manufacturing impact of our companies, and to trace and verify the supply chain as much as possible.

This takes time, costs money, and language barriers complicate things further. Paying more for paper that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificated, researching and asking what kind of ink is being used, and doing factory visits to build relationships and see the work conditions and environmental standards of the factories are ways we do this.

Fulfilment and logistics have a big impact on our lifestyle goals, as currently these tie us geographically. Our inventory and prototyping setup is in Japan; when we travel, it essentially stops. The next step in our lifestyle plan is to automate our fulfillment and build a mobile prototyping setup that can travel with us.

CONCLUSION

The approach of aligning a business with a lifestyle plan is an incremental process and can’t be done all at once. It needs to constantly adapt as priorities, values and the business landscape changes. But it can be a reference and guide to living a fulfilling life, and running a fulfilling business.

]]>Building a Business Based on the Life You Want to Leadhttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2017/11/6/building-a-business-based-on-the-life-you-want-to-leadRediscovering the joy of writing whilst waiting for a typhoonConferencesJacintaSun, 22 Oct 2017 11:44:44 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/EoNC9SI3kIs/waiting-for-a-typhoon-and-musing-on-community54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:59ec3f1880bd5ee92ad46bc1Writing is fun because when I write, I get to make up stuff. I get to
imagine new worlds and people, and their stories. And sometimes, just
sometimes, people even give me money for doing it. How cool is that?!
It's Sunday afternoon, and I'm sitting by the window, waiting for the
typhoon to come.
It's been raining for the past 2 weeks, and while earlier in the week, I
wanted nothing more than to be outside, somehow today it's ok not to be.
It feels right to be indoors with a glowing heater and blanket around my
legs whilst outside it's wet, cold, and grey. Perhaps because there's a
typhoon on the way, and it's so deliciously melancholic. Around midnight,
Typhoon Lan will hit. It's a category 4 typhoon and I'm not sure what to
expect. I'll pack a bag just in case.
In the meantime, all this wind and rain is making me reflective. Why,
in the last two weeks, have my thoughts towards how and what I write
become kinder?
The reason is when it comes to writing, I load myself up with pressure
before I've even picked up a pen, or opened my laptop. There's pressure to
come up with ideas that are unique, gripping and insightful, to create
characters that ring true and aren't cliche, to tell stories that are
moving and worthy of a literary prize, and to write fast and frequently.
It's paralysing.
But over the past two weeks, a subtle change has taken place.It's Sunday afternoon, and I'm sitting by the window, waiting for the typhoon to come.

It's been raining for the past 2 weeks, and while earlier in the week, I wanted nothing more than to be outside, somehow today it's ok not to be. It feels right to be indoors with a glowing heater and blanket around my legs whilst outside it's wet, cold, and grey. Perhaps because there's a typhoon on the way, and it's so deliciously melancholic. Around midnight, Typhoon Lan will hit. It's a category 4 typhoon and I'm not sure what to expect. I'll pack a bag just in case.

In the meantime, all this wind and rain is making me reflective. Why, in the last two weeks, have my thoughts towards how and what I write become kinder?

The reason is when it comes to writing, I load myself up with pressure before I've even picked up a pen, or opened my laptop. There's pressure to come up with ideas that are unique, gripping and insightful, to create characters that ring true and aren't cliche, to tell stories that are moving and worthy of a literary prize, and to write fast and frequently.

It's paralysing.

But over the past two weeks, a subtle change has taken place. Those pressures are melting away. And it's because I'm rediscovering the joy of the craft. I call it rediscovering because I used to write a lot, and it was always an exploration. I loved writing until finally the right phrase came forward, stepping over all the discarded ones littered on the ground or the characters revealed their true nature, or until the plot that had twisted and turned, found its satisfying end.

As the years went by, I got distracted and forgot that's what writing is about - curiosity and exploring. Now, I'm finally remembering.

Writing is fun because when I write, I get to make up stuff. I get to imagine new worlds and people, and their stories. And sometimes, just sometimes, people even give me money for doing it. How cool is that?!

How then, can writing be a chore, something that's difficult, hard, elusive and compounded with pressure? To paraphrase Dean Wesley Smith, in what other occupation are you paid to make things up?

But there's another thing.

People say that writing is a solitary activity. I disagree.

The ideas, the characters and the plots lines I come up with are all influenced by what's around me. There's tendrils of the people, the environment, what I've been reading, watching and listening to in each story. Plus, all the times I brainstorm or bounce ideas off people.

But more importantly, community is also part of being a writer. I realised this after I presented at the Japan Writers Conference run by poet, writer, musician and teacher John Gribble, a few weeks ago. It was my first writers' conference and I wasn't sure what to expect. I certainly didn't have any idea of what the Japan writing scene was like.

For the past few years I'd been writing interactive fiction and learning the ropes of the publishing industry on my own, so I wasn't expecting to come away with an appreciation for community. What I gained from the conference was a huge injection of energy as I listened to writers who loved what they did, and realised, regardless of genre, we were similar.

The topics were varied.

Thersa Matsuura lead us on a delightfully dark walk through why people read horror fiction, and how to write it. Her podcast Uncanny Japan is now a staple bedtime lullaby for us here at HackerFarm.

Karen McGree's funny, honest and practical approach on how to write good sex scenes was refreshing. Writer and picture book veteran Holly Thompson challenged us to consider the potential of non fiction picture books. In C. E. J. Simons' Rhymers Club we even had an impromptu couplet poetry session, plus much more.

Anyways, I have ripples of ideas that are starting to form swells. Nanowrimo is coming up in a week and I'll be challenging myself to write 50,000 words. So back to working on the outline and characters .... and watching for the typhoon.

]]>Rediscovering the joy of writing whilst waiting for a typhoonhttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2017/10/22/waiting-for-a-typhoon-and-musing-on-communityWhat Harry Potter has to do with the Japan Writers Conference WorkshopsJacintaMon, 02 Oct 2017 09:05:58 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/KgJsACJp7CI/what-harry-potter-has-to-do-with-the-japan-writers-conference54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:59d1f494f09ca40ca90a4b80'There’s a scene in one of the Harry Potter movies. Hagrid invites the
students to come up and meet a really terrifying critter. “All right,
then,” he says, “Who’s first?” All the students take a step back, leaving
Harry standing alone in front of the group. That’s kind of like how I fell
into the job.'
This October 8 and 9 is the annual Japan Writers Conference. A melting pot
of free talks, workshops and readings, the event brings together a
community of writers, publishers, and lovers of literature to share their
knowledge and celebrate words.
Whether it's the ins and outs of writing horror, poetry, interactive
fiction, memoirs or first lines, exploring the pros and cons of small
presses, learning how to be a writer and an editor, or landing a newspaper
column in Japan, this year's lineup has something for everyone. We'll be
doing a session on interactive fiction on Monday Oct 9 at 2pm. So if you're
in Tokyo, come down and say hello, Programme details here.
We sat down with John Gribble, one of the organisers, to learn what Harry
Potter has to do with his involvement, what he finds surprising and
challenging about running the conference, and what he's working on now. 'There’s a scene in one of the Harry Potter movies. Hagrid invites the students to come up and meet a really terrifying critter. “All right, then,” he says, “Who’s first?” All the students take a step back, leaving Harry standing alone in front of the group. That’s kind of like how I fell into the job.'

This October 8 and 9 is the annual Japan Writers Conference. A melting pot of free talks, workshops and readings, the event brings together a community of writers, publishers, and lovers of literature to share their knowledge and celebrate words.

We sat down with John Gribble, one of the organisers, to learn what Harry Potter has to do with his involvement, what he finds surprising and challenging about running the conference, and what he's working on now.

Q. What motivated you to run the conference, and how long have you been running it?

There’s a scene in one of the Harry Potter movies. Hagrid invites the students to come up and meet a really terrifying critter. “All right, then,” he says, “Who’s first?” All the students take a step back, leaving Harry standing alone in front of the group. That’s kind of like how I fell into the job. The people who organized the first Conference in 2007 were unable to continue. But some of us thought it had been so great that it seemed a shame to have it be a one-time-only event. So a group of us organized a second one in Nagoya in 2008. I was the #2 person that year. The #1 left Japan shortly thereafter, and there I was. There have always been co-coordinators. Bern Mulvey has done the job for several years.

Q. What’s been the most surprising, rewarding or challenging aspect of the conference for you?

Surprising: How popular and well-supported the Conference has become. It has really grown legs of its own.

Rewarding: To see how much work the presenters put in to their sessions. The quality of the sessions is amazingly high. And its all done from love—nobody’s getting paid.

Challenging: It isn’t always been easy to find sites to host the Conference. We have no money or institutional support, and schools have had to tighten their belts. But it looks like we’re good for a couple years. Another problem has been making sure there’s food available. It isn’t always easy. Conferences, like armies, travel on their stomachs. But we’re getting better at it.

Q. What’s unique about this year’s conference or what are you most excited about for this year?

We're in Tokyo for the first time in several years, so we’ve had a larger number of people submitting worthwhile presentation proposals. So we’re going to have a bigger Conference, with more sessions than usual. And I think this year we have the largest number of writers from overseas coming to present. People are coming from England, the US, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, and India to speak. That’s pretty exciting!

Q. What writing projects are you working on now?

Today I worked on a draft of a new poem about Shirakawa-go. It's the village in Gifu famous for the gassho “praying hands” houses. I have a couple large projects going, including a book on five-string banjo.

Whether it's the ins and outs of writing horror, poetry, interactive fiction, memoirs or first lines, exploring the pros and cons of small presses, learning how to be a writer and an editor, or landing a newspaper column in Japan, this year's lineup has something for everyone. We'll be doing a session on interactive fiction on Monday Oct 9 at 2pm. So if you're in Tokyo, come down and say hello, Programme details here.

]]>What Harry Potter has to do with the Japan Writers Conferencehttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2017/10/2/what-harry-potter-has-to-do-with-the-japan-writers-conferenceTalking distribution and logistics with writersWorkshopsJacintaMon, 02 Oct 2017 08:08:12 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/8jKfaT4AeMk/post-workshop-update-distribution-and-logistics54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:59d1f14f80bd5e37351481a6Distribution and logistics is not something you usually associate with
being a writer. But nobody reads your book without it!
So last Thursday myself and Chris Akiba Wang ran a workshop on the subject
for Tokyo Writers Salon. We talked about margins within the supply chain,
how distribution deals are structured, logistic options, and how to decide
which one is best for you.
Even if you decide not to do all this yourself, knowing this is part of the
process of getting your book out into the hands of readers is worthwhile.
We were surprised at the level of interest and all the questions coming
from a writer who's onto her second novel, a small press founder and short
story writer amongst others!
We were surprised at the level of interest and all the questions!
Big thanks to Lauren Shannon for arranging, and everyone from Tokyo Writers
Salon who attended.
Our next session is on Marketing. Stay tuned for more details!Distribution and logistics is not something you usually associate with being a writer. But nobody reads your book without it!

So last Thursday myself and Chris Akiba Wang ran a workshop on the subject for Tokyo Writers Salon. We talked about margins within the supply chain, how distribution deals are structured, logistic options, and how to decide which one is best for you. Even if you decide not to do all this yourself, knowing this is part of the process of getting your book out into the hands of readers is worthwhile. We were surprised at the level of interest and all the questions coming from a writer who's onto her second novel, a small press founder and short story writer amongst others!

Big thanks to Lauren Shannon for arranging, and everyone from Tokyo Writers Salon who attended.

Our next session is on Marketing. Stay tuned for more details!

]]>Talking distribution and logistics with writershttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2017/10/2/post-workshop-update-distribution-and-logisticsUpcoming Workshop: Book Distribution & Logistics:WorkshopsJacintaTue, 26 Sep 2017 04:00:30 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/gj_iWz5b7Bc/upcoming-workshop-distribution-logistics-nobody-will-read-your-book-without-it54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:59c9ce7b12abd9d5ea648e06This Thursday Sept 28th, Akiba and I are presenting part 5 of our series
Publishing Your Book: A writer's guide to the publishing industry and
printing process!
Distribution & Logistics: Nobody will read your book without it!
7.30pm - 9.30pm
Thurs Sept 28th 2017
Shibuya, Tokyo
RSVP on Meetup here!
Most people spend a lot of time on writing, crafting and making sure their
printed book turns out well. But industry veterans know that fulfilment and
logistics, or how you get your book from the factory to your customers, can
make or break a business.
Books are complex items for logistics because they have a low selling price
and are usually heavy. This means that if you're not careful about
logistics, shipping your book can cost more than printing it.
This Thursday Sept 28th, Akiba and I are presenting part 5 of our series Publishing Your Book: A writer's guide to the publishing industry and printing process!

Distribution & Logistics: Nobody will read your book without it!

Most people spend a lot of time on writing, crafting and making sure their printed book turns out well. But industry veterans know that fulfillment and logistics, or how you get your book from the factory to your customers, can make or break a business. Books are complex items for logistics because they have a low selling price and are usually heavy. This means that if you're not careful about logistics, shipping your book can cost more than printing it.

Co-presented with Akiba from Freaklabs, we'll discuss the pros and cons of different distribution options such as wholesalers, direct retail and online, whether or not you need distributors, how to line them up, what they look for in a vendor, and how you need to structure your margins to take distribution into account.

We'll also explore various options for fulfillment including Amazon, third party fulfillment houses, and some options that recently have become viable such as fulfillment directly from China. These decisions will affect your options for logistics, since you may need to literally get tons of books across oceans to fulfillment or distribution warehouses.

Join us for part 5 of "Publishing Your Book: Distribution and Logistics - Nobody will read your book without it!" and see why you might need to worry about pirates in Indonesia when you become a book publisher!

Hope to see you there!

]]>Upcoming Workshop: Book Distribution & Logistics:http://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2017/9/26/upcoming-workshop-distribution-logistics-nobody-will-read-your-book-without-itNew workshop series starts on Thursday! Author TalksWorkshopsJacintaSat, 11 Mar 2017 03:10:17 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/vVJkfuI8eKI/publishing-your-book-a-writers-guide-to-printing-process-and-the-publishing-industry54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:58c36738b3db2b34ddf697a8A writer’s guide to the printing process and the publishing industry is
Zoot's new series of workshops with Tokyo Writer's Salon.
The first session held this Thursday March 16th in Shibuya, discusses an
important question all writers need to consider. Which route to publication
is best for you - traditional or DIY?
We’ll discuss how to decide which option is best for your writing, the
advantages and disadvantages of both, and whether you can believe the hype
around these two different channels.
Held monthly, the series will cover editing, book design and layout,
getting your file print ready, ebook creation and publishing, offset
printing and manufacturing, distribution channels, shipping and logistics,
marketing and the future of publishing for writers.
Cost 1000 JPY, RSVP via meet up: http://buff.ly/2lNDtFI
Hope to see you there!A writer’s guide to the printing process and the publishing industry is Zoot's new series of workshops with Tokyo Writer's Salon.

The first session held this Thursday March 16th in Shibuya, discusses an important question all writers need to consider. Which route to publication is best for you - traditional or DIY?

We’ll discuss how to decide which option is best for your writing, the advantages and disadvantages of both, and whether you can believe the hype around these two different channels.

Held monthly, the series will cover editing, book design and layout, getting your file print ready, ebook creation and publishing, offset printing and manufacturing, distribution channels, shipping and logistics, marketing and the future of publishing for writers.

I'll be talking all things interactive fiction - why it's important, why readers and writers love it, and how to write it yourself.

Organised by fellow writer and superwoman Lauren Shannon, I'm looking forward to connecting with the local community in Tokyo.

]]>http://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2017/1/24/were-talking-interactive-fiction-why-readers-and-writers-love-itIndiegogo launch campaign is a success!Picture BooksJacintaFri, 18 Nov 2016 08:15:36 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/xQFXdW2hryQ/indiegogo-launch-campaign-is-a-success54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:582eb76b59cc68e27c179c1dWe did it!
Our Indiegogo launch campaign for
Who Ate The Cake? was a
SUCCESS!
The journey has begun. We're so excited to get the book into the hands of
young readers to help them grow curious, and to encourage them to think
about how and why they make decisions.
A JUMBO thank you to all the backers!
We did it!

The journey has begun. We're so excited to get the book into the hands of young readers to help them grow curious, and to encourage them to think about how and why they make decisions.

A JUMBO thank you to all the backers!

]]>Indiegogo launch campaign is a success!http://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2016/11/18/indiegogo-launch-campaign-is-a-successWe did it! A COLOSSAL thank you to all the backers!Picture BooksJacintaFri, 11 Nov 2016 07:11:09 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/Ix9ocbOgsw4/we-did-it-a-colossal-thank-you-to-all-the-backers54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:58256df9c534a52041a3da4cWe’ve reached 123% of our target with 7 days left before the campaign ends!
It’s incredibly humbling and exhilarating to have support from backers
across the globe, including countries such as Germany, Ireland, Taiwan,
Thailand, China, US, Singapore, Japan, UK, Canada and Australia.
To all supporters, thank you. Our journey is just beginning!
For those who are interested in supporting or know people that may be
interested, it's not too late! We have 7 days left!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-ate-the-cake-education#

We’ve reached 123% of our target with 7 days left before the campaign ends!

It’s incredibly humbling and exhilarating to have support from backers across the globe, including countries such as Germany, Ireland, Taiwan, Thailand, China, US, Singapore, Japan, UK, Canada and Australia.

Some have supported to give the book, prints and table lights to children they know, others have contributed simply because they believe in the ideas behind Who Ate The Cake? and Zoot Publishing.

To all supporters, thank you. Our journey is just beginning!

For those who are interested in supporting or know people that may be interested, it's not too late! We have 7 days left!

]]>We did it! A COLOSSAL thank you to all the backers!http://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2016/11/11/we-did-it-a-colossal-thank-you-to-all-the-backers2 weeks gone, 2 weeks to go ... and special interview with Deb PotterAuthor TalksJacintaFri, 04 Nov 2016 05:33:24 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/ApZcHFhYkAw/who-ate-the-cake-education54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:581c134f3e00be17a7fbdb03It's just over two weeks since we launched! We're 46% funded with 14 days
left. A big thank you to all the new backers and a continuing thank you to
the existing ones.
In our funding race against time, we're neck and neck. It's exciting, and
nerve wracking, and this week, we're going to speed ahead! Please share the
link with parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, librarians or
friends and encourage them to support.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For this update, we also have a special treat. We interviewed Deb Potter
from Fairytale Factory - the indie publisher of the interactive fiction
series You Say Which Way.
In a series of 3-8 minute audio bytes, we discuss the appeal of interactive
fiction, challenges and tips for writers, morality and interactive fiction,
how interactive affects decision making in real life and the business of
running an indie publisher.
First up we discuss Deb's obsession with interactive fiction and the start
of fairytale factory (5.03 min)
“Full confession here - I’m a geek.”
Then we discuss the appeal of interactive fiction and the challenges to
writers (3.25 min)
“All of us writing for You Say Which Way … we’ve all had moments when
we’ve realised writing the story has challenged us at a deeper level to
think about what our deep-seated beliefs are … about how people should
be, and how they should react.”
More tracks will be uploaded shortly. Click here to listenIt's just over two weeks since we launched! We're 46% funded with 14 days left. A big thank you to all the new backers and a continuing thank you to the existing ones.

In our funding race against time, we're neck and neck. It's exciting, and nerve wracking, and this week, we're going to speed ahead!

If you know of any parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, librarians or friends who loved Choose Your Own Adventure and Pick A Path please share the link and encourage them to support.

In a series of 3-8 minute audio bytes, we discuss the appeal of interactive fiction, challenges and tips for writers, morality and interactive fiction, how interactive affects decision making in real life and the business of running an indie publisher.

“All of us writing for You Say Which Way … we’ve all had moments when we’ve realised writing the story has challenged us at a deeper level to think about what our deep-seated beliefs are … about how people should be, and how they should react.”

2 weeks gone, 2 weeks to go ... and special interview with Deb Potterhttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-ate-the-cake-education#/35% of our campaign goal in one week!Picture BooksJacintaWed, 26 Oct 2016 11:01:03 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/QQP7s2lTznM/who-ate-the-cake-education54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:58108cf4f7e0abd1f4ba57cbOne week into the campaign and we've reached 35% of the target already!
A huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to all the backers so far. It means a lot to
have your support.
We're throwing our hands in the air, doing a little jig and rolling up our
sleeves because we still have a way to go ... One week into our launch campaign and we've reached 35% of the target already!

A huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to all the backers so far. It means a lot to have your support.

We're throwing our hands in the air, doing a little jig and rolling up our sleeves because we still have a way to go.

We'll be providing audio updates once or twice a week to keep you posted on how the campaign is going.

We'll also discuss in more depth the themes and ideas behind the book and the perks, the creation process including the writing, illustrating, designing & manufacturing process, our love of choose your own adventure books, role playing games and boardgames, and what it's like to run an Indiegogo campaign.

35% of our campaign goal in one week!https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-ate-the-cake-education#Who Ate The Cake? launch campaign on Indiegogo is live!JacintaWed, 19 Oct 2016 01:49:02 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/CAt6PVrGTU8/910928754741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:5806ced39de4bb8d17feeb9e3 years in the making and Who Ate The Cake?'s official launch campaign is
live on Indiegogo.
Who Ate The Cake? is a picture book written in the Choose Your Own
Adventure format. It encourages decision-making and curiosity in young
readers by taking the reader on adventures in which they drive the story
and solve the mystery.
I decide to write it for my nieces 3 years ago and what a journey that
whimsical decision has taken me on.
For more of the story and the why behind the book check out the campaign
page.
There's also fun perks catering to all levels of support including a
colouring in book, epub version, LED canvas prints of the gorgeous
illustrations from Jade Fang, table lights & more.
Very excited to see how it goes, and where the journey leads to next!

Who Ate The Cake? is a mystery adventure picture book for ages 4+ where the reader decides what to do next.

We believe being curious and being aware of our choices makes us better people.

Understanding we always have a choice, even when it doesn’t seem that way, empowers us as individuals. It helps us take responsibility for our actions. Combined with exploring, wondering and questioning, we can become people that go on to make a difference.

Who Ate The Cake? encourages decision-making and curiosity in young readers by taking the reader on adventures in which they drive the story and solve the mystery.

Over the past 2 years, we've written, illustrated, done a trial print run and market tested the book.

Now we need your help to officially launch.

Join us as we launch Who Ate The Cake? and help young readers grow curious and to remember 'There’s Always a Choice.'

Who Ate The Cake? launch campaign on Indiegogo is live!https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/who-ate-the-cake-education/x/9109287#/First Sentences IdeasWorth ReadingJacintaTue, 05 Jul 2016 06:26:43 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/7WQif7VJECM/first-sentences54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:577afbee59cc68071c01cb38'Where's Papa going with that ax?' said Fern to her mother as they were
setting the table for breakfast.
- Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
How much do first sentences contribute to the success of a book, and are
they really the reason why we continue or stop reading? Add to Flipboard Magazine.

How much do first sentences contribute to the success of a book, and are they really the reason why we continue or stop reading?

“Like any reader, when I pick up a book, I open it and check out the first words. I’m not looking for anything specific. Actually, what I love about opening sentences is the complete lack of rules, how each writer gets to decide how best to guide a reader into their narrative.”

" 'Where's Papa going with that ax?' said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast."

“The first sentence of a book is a handshake, perhaps an embrace. Style and personality are irrelevant. They can be formal or casual. They can be tall or short or fat or thin. They can obey the rules or break them. But they need to contain a charge. A live current, which shocks and illuminates.”

First sentences are more than a teasing window display vying for our attention and enticing into the store. They hold out their hand and promise to lead us into other worlds, ideas and emotions.

So what makes us decide whether we follow or not?

Russell continues,

"As a reader, a really wonderful opening line makes me giddy with excitement. I nestle myself as deeply into my couch as I can go, and I accept the deal the novel has offered me. Yes, I will read the rest of you. You’ve earned it."

It seems first sentences carry the weight of the book’s world upon their shoulders. Not gripping enough? Then the capricious reader will close the book. The world and characters within miss their chance to exist.

“To get scientific about it is a little like trying to catch moonbeams in a jar.”

He goes onto say

“But there's one thing I'm sure about. An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.”

"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

If this is what first sentences are for the reader. What are they for the writer? King continues,

"…It's not just the reader's way in, it's the writer's way in also, and you've got to find a doorway that fits us both. I think that's why my books tend to begin as first sentences … “

Does he have a 'best' first line?

“I can tell you right now that the best first line I ever wrote -- and I learned it from Cain, and learned it from Fairbairn -- is the opening of Needful Things….

You've been here before.

All there by itself on one page, inviting the reader to keep reading. It suggests a familiar story; at the same time, the unusual presentation brings us outside the realm of the ordinary. And this, in a way, is a promise of the book that's going to come. “

"Once upon a time there lived ... 'A king!' my little readers will say immediately. No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood."

Like King, Russell acknowledges the impact of first sentences on writers,

“As a writer, the opening line is the purest, most unadulterated part of a work. Before it, the blank page. After it, the whole of a story, a novel, a book. It is the division between nothing and something, the bridge between emptiness and fullness, between something in your head and something on the page...”

But has it always been like this? Where has this pressure for first sentences to be so enticingly perfect come from?

For the aspiring novelist, journalism — writing for newspapers or the new national magazines that rapidly spread across the country starting in the 1880s — was increasingly serving as an apprentice discipline, and so it’s no surprise its methods would soon manifest themselves in fiction.

Heisel points out

"The most obvious analogue to the novel’s first sentence is the newspaper’s “lede” [lead paragraph], a form that developed over the nineteenth century alongside more sensational efforts focused on attracting a mass audience. "

"In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

Advertising then directly drew from journalism and novels.

"Advertisers came to find, like novelists, that buyers were more easily lured by the vistas the book or product could open up than in the details like the birthplace of the protagonist or the effectiveness of the soap."

Heisel continues

The revolution in advertising during this period was to learn not simply to explain the product but to make it appealing, not to sell the bare goods, but to invite the buyer into a world, to present at a glance a lifestyle he or she would want to inhabit.

So

"Every advertiser was a novelist, every novelist, at least for a sentence, an advertiser."

So much so that,

"The first sentence, itself described as a “decoy for attention” in a 1930 story on the new art, is a lure within a lure, created in a new economy increasingly predicated on commercial diversification and instant appeal, in a book market that had never been so populated.

"It was a dark and stormy night."

And whilst Heisel acknowledges that "“Great first lines” are damningly useful,' he points out that

"In discussions of book selection online, readers much more commonly say they buy because of the cover, blurbs, and recommendations, which aligns with what little market research today is public. Those who do sample the prose say they read somewhere from the middle as often as the beginning."

Moreover, the expectation of a killer first line is detrimental to the value and potential the novel form in general.

"If they’re not allowed a more humble scope than this, then they’re in danger of fleeing the novel — being less important to a book and its readers than to the desperate tussle of financial concerns that pull at it. There’s a danger that a great first sentence might be nothing more than a great first sentence."

2011 contestants from The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, "a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels"

Russell also points out

"It would be easy to think of opening sentences as somehow representative of the rest of the book, as exemplifying some quintessence of the novel’s aims, but this isn’t––and shouldn’t––always be so ..."

“How often have you stayed up far too late with a book so that you could read just one more chapter? In a well-constructed novel, that one more chapter can turn into just one more, and one more and one more until you are sleep deprived. You are carried deeper into the novel a little bit at a time. First lines are just the beginning of this process.”

What was the first sentence of the last book you read, and what was your experience?

]]>First Sentenceshttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2016/7/5/first-sentencesWhy You Should Read For Pleasure IdeasWorth ReadingJacintaWed, 01 Jun 2016 07:35:43 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/4pJT_8DJ4a0/why-you-should-read-for-pleasure54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:574ce3718259b5de673c7ad1What you get and what you become from reading fiction.
In his 2013 lecture for The UK’s Reading Agency, Neil Gaiman reminds us
that “reading for pleasure is one of the most important things one can
do."
Here's why.What you get and what you become from reading fiction.

Reading fiction is the “gateway drug to reading.”

By reading stories that compel us to keep turning the page, we discover that “reading per se is pleasurable.”

We build up a habit of reading fiction that spills over into reading everything - instructions, news, opinions, the fine print, medical, scientific or philosophical breakthroughs. Through reading we access information. And this, according to Gaiman, is key.

“In the last few years, we've moved from an information scarce economy to one driven by an information glut,” Gaiman says. During this time of information excess, “literacy is more important than ever it was.”

“We need global citizens who can read comfortably, comprehend what they are reading, understand nuance, and make themselves understood," he explains.

If we are less literate and less numerate, it means a population “less able to navigate the world, to understand it to solve problems. They can be more easily lied to and misled, will be less able to change the world in which they find themselves.”

Reading fiction is unique in how it builds empathy

“When you watch TV or see a film, you are looking at things happening to other people,” Gaiman says.

However when reading fiction “ … you alone, using your imagination, create a world and people it and look out through other eyes. You get to feel things, visit places and worlds you would never otherwise know."

“You're being someone else, and when you return to your own world, you're going to be slightly changed.”

When we put down the book, a morsel of the emotions and experiences of the characters remain with us, assimilating into our own.

Through reading fiction, we can build empathy for people and situations we may never have the good or bad fortune to directly experience in our own lives. Fiction books connect us with others.

Reading fiction plants seeds of discontent

When we read fiction, we see the world as it could be – for better or for worse, and that provokes change.

“Once you've visited other worlds, like those who ate fairy fruit, you can never be entirely content with the world that you grew up in. Discontent is a good thing: discontented people can modify and improve their worlds, leave them better, leave them different.”

And the change begins with imagination.

"I'm going to point out something so obvious that it tends to be forgotten. It's this: that everything you can see, including the walls, was, at some point, imagined ...

....over and over and over, people imagined things. They daydreamed, they pondered, they made things that didn't quite work, they described things that didn't yet exist to people who laughed at them.

And then, in time, they succeeded. Political movements, personal movements, all began with people imagining another way of existing."

But more than just imagine, Gaiman says,

“We have an obligation to make things beautiful. Don't leave the world uglier than we found it, not to empty the oceans, not to leave our problems for the next generation. We have an obligation to clean up after ourselves, and not leave our children with a world we've shortsightedly messed up, shortchanged, and crippled.”

Fiction books help us escape

By helping us escape, fiction books help us cope with real life.

"I'd like to say a few words about escapism," Gaiman says. "I hear the term bandied about as if it's a bad thing. As if "escapist" fiction is a cheap opiate used by the muddled and the foolish and the deluded, and the only fiction that is worthy, for adults or for children, is mimetic fiction, mirroring the worst of the world the reader finds herself in."

But if you think about it more deeply,

"If you were trapped in an impossible situation, in an unpleasant place, with people who meant you ill, and someone offered you a temporary escape, why wouldn't you take it?

And escapist fiction is just that: fiction that opens a door, shows the sunlight outside, gives you a place to go where you are in control, are with people you want to be with(and books are real places, make no mistake about that); and more importantly, during your escape, books can also give you knowledge about the world and your predicament, give you weapons, give you armour: real things you can take back into your prison. Skills and knowledge and tools you can use to escape for real."

The truth of the emotional journey of the characters resonates with us, helps us feel less alone, and helps us to cope with, and make changes, in our lives. Fiction books are our mentors.

Fiction books also provide a continuum of humanity's experience that we can draw on, one that reaches across time and place.

"Books are the way that we communicate with the dead. The way that we learn lessons from those who are no longer with us." It shows us "that humanity has built on itself, progressed, made knowledge incremental rather than something that has to be relearned, over and over," he says.

]]>http://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2016/5/31/why-you-should-read-for-pleasureMy Little Bookcase ReviewReviewsJacintaFri, 20 May 2016 06:57:07 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/0VQ3ObiuDzc/my-little-bookcase-review54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:573eb193555986cb895a99a6Who Ate The Cake? is My Little Bookcase's 'latest book obsession!
'...It's virtually a 'choose your own adventure' book for littlies, and my
kids are HOOKED! ...
We haven't discovered all 6 endings yet and I don't think my kids will go
to sleep until we do- they're still up and begging me to read it one more
time!"
Click here for the full review.

]]>My Little Bookcase Reviewhttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2016/5/20/my-little-bookcase-reviewSchool Talk at Chinese International SchoolAuthor TalksJacintaFri, 18 Mar 2016 11:41:26 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/kgFgGQyzEFw/school-talk-at-chinese-international54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:56ebac5a0442621acbdd739fIt's always humbling when you meet avid writers with fierce imaginations,
especially when they're eight and nine years old. This afternoon I gave a
talk to about 12 students at Chinese International School (CIS) in Hong
Kong .. It's always humbling when you meet avid writers with fierce imaginations, especially when they're eight and nine years old.

This afternoon I gave a talk to about 12 students at Chinese International School (CIS) in Hong Kong. They shared stories and comics they'd written themselves, listened keenly to ideas, asked questions and acted out concepts such as 'Show don't tell'.

We talked about where ideas come from, developing characters with depth, plot structure, editing and reading your work aloud, how words and illustrations can enhance or contradict each other, how I created Who Ate The Cake?, the publishing process and how an offset printer works.

What surprised me the most, was how interested the kids were in the printing process and 'business' side of publishing. There were even questions like, 'Can I make money writing?'

Watching the pure joy on their faces when they were reading, and listening to the intensity with which they told their own wild, fanciful stories reminded just how much storytelling is part of our very essence.

Arriving at CIS
Classroom creativity
The class
Handing out books
Hands up who's writing a story
My hands up, but my head's in a book
Reading, reading everywhere
Lunchtime - one of my favourite times to read
Where do ideas come from?
Working on their stories
Working on his non fiction story about basketball
Telling me her story. It was about robots overtaking humans
Here's my plot summary
First one came up ...
Then a few more joined her ...
Then everyone came closer
Explaining how an offset printer works
Lining up for signatures on bits of paper
Writing little messages of encouragement - keep curious, keep writing!
Leaving a few signed copies for the school library]]>School Talk at Chinese International Schoolhttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2016/3/18/school-talk-at-chinese-internationalMeet the Creator: Marlo Garnsworthy, editorMeet the CreatorJacintaMon, 07 Mar 2016 06:40:04 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/NQ4JDr-CmLU/meet-the-creator-marlo-garnsworthy-editor54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:56dd1d831d07c0ad5e14cb23Marlo Garnsworthy, the editor Who Ate The Cake?, is a writer and
illustrator in her own right. She talks with us about what makes a good
editor, what was challenging about the project and which character she’s
most like.

Marlo Garnsworthy, the editor of Who Ate The Cake?, is a writer and illustrator in her own right. She talks with us about what makes a good editor, what was challenging about the project and which character she’s most like.

Q. What was the biggest challenge about editing the story and why? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge was keeping track of multiple storylines and making sure each narrative thread was strong.

I overcame it by following each storyline through to its completion, then returning to the beginning and taking a new path, just as the reader does.

It was a very fun and interesting project to work on!

Q. What’s your advice to writers about working with editors?

First, do your research and find a reputable editor with a proven track record of editing books that have gone on to be traditionally published. Also, look for someone with expertise in the genre you’re writing in—not all editors have a full understanding of how to edit a successful picture book, for example.

Visit the Editorial Freelancers Association website’s rate guidelines page to make sure the editor’s quote is fair. It’s a good idea to get a full understanding of what you’ll be paying for, and it’s reasonable to ask for a sample edit, which a reputable editor should be happy to provide free of charge. This will help your determine if the editor is a good fit for you in terms of editing style and personality. (For picture books, don’t expect more than a half page sample edit, and for novels, expect between 3-5 pages.)

Reputable editors will give you an honest appraisal of the level of editing your manuscript needs: developmental/substantive editing, copyediting, or just proofreading, and the writer should take that feedback willingly.

Keep in mind that it’s a rare text that doesn’t need some degree of developmental editing. Also, if an editor doesn’t offer you a contract, don’t proceed.

Q. What makes a good editor or any tips on what to avoid when editing?

A good editor, apart from having exceptional skills and a solid knowledge of the industry, listens to the writer, edits in keeping with the writer’s style but enhances it, and delivers on time.

A good picture book editor also has a thorough understanding of the relationship between image and word.

Often, I also find myself lending sympathetic ear and acting as cheer squad for my authors!

Q. Which scene or storyline or character is your favourite? Why?

It’s really quite difficult to choose, as each was appealing in its own way, and the feel of each story is quite different.

I felt very drawn to the will-o-the-wisp story thread, and Greenie Beenie, Dacytl, and Big Ted are so cute, especially now I’ve seen them come to life with Jade Fang’s wonderful illustrations.

But the character who sticks in my mind most firmly is Sweetooth Mould—what a great name! I love the gross-out factor, and I know kids will, too.

Q. If you were a character in the story, who would you be?

There are so many great characters to choose from!

However, I rather like the idea of being the will-o-the-wisp, out floating in the night garden and murmuring in verse.

]]>Meet the Creator: Marlo Garnsworthy, editorhttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2016/3/7/meet-the-creator-marlo-garnsworthy-editorMeet the Creator: Jade Fang, IllustratorMeet the CreatorPicture BooksJacintaThu, 03 Mar 2016 09:01:25 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/ri5YZSCUe4E/an-interview-with-jade-fang-illustrator-of-who-ate-the-cake54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:56d6b3651d07c02d04d9a29eJade Fang, the illustrator of Who Ate The Cake? talks with us about her
favourite character, the hardest scene to draw and offers some tips for
illustrating characters with feeling. Jade Fang, the illustrator of Who Ate The Cake? talks with us about her favourite character, the hardest scene to draw and offers some tips for illustrating characters with feeling.

Q. What did you find interesting about the story?

I’m really fascinated by the many adventurous events that happened in the story. It gave me a lot of room to indulge in my imagination to create the visuals. On top of that I always like crime and detective fiction, so the story actually set me into the mood and let me play with clues and ideas that I could create in a “crime” scene. It’s really fun!

Q. Which character is your favourite? Why?

Greenie Beenie is my favourite. I imagined him to be a shy, scared and harmless creature/doll; someone that you want to protect and hug all the time, ha.

Q. Which scene or character was the hardest? Why? How did you overcome it?

I would say the scene where Sophie was heading to supermarket along Pepys Road and into the supermarket was challenging to me, mainly because it involved proper structure and perspective. It’s technical skill that I need to improve on and be better at. So for this scene, I just had to keep editing the drawing until the building and perspective feel right.

Q. What’s your advice for illustrating characters with feeling?

Definitely is to understand the character you are creating, sort out what characteristic or attitude you are planning for the character. Then imagine yourself to be the character, think and feel like the character so that when you start the drawing, you will consciously or unconsciously make choices in the designing stage until the character feels right in any situation.

Q. If you were an illustration or character, which would you be?

I would love to be in the cellar saving all the delicious cakes and befriending them. Hopefully they will offer me a bite whenever we play together … does that make me a monster?

]]>Meet the Creator: Jade Fang, Illustratorhttp://www.zootpublishing.com/blog/2016/3/2/an-interview-with-jade-fang-illustrator-of-who-ate-the-cakeWho Ate The Cake? now available on AmazonPicture BooksJacintaWed, 24 Jun 2015 03:56:24 +0000http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ZootPublishing-Blog/~3/Gmrh_eZxOW8/who-ate-the-cake54741444e4b0d71ddf72eaf6:558a1c20e4b0baa328af8258:558a205de4b06f2523749f24Who Ate The Cake? is available now available on Amazon.
Written by Cinta and illustrated by Jade Fang, it's the first in a series
of picture books written in the classic 'choose your own adventure' style -
only with no right or wrong choice and 6 different endings.
In Who Ate The Cake? Sophie needs your help to find her missing birthday
cake. Each choice takes you and Sophie on a different adventure. Explore
all 6 endings!
www.whoatethecake.com
Who Ate The Cake? is available on Amazon.

Written by Cinta and illustrated by Jade Fang, Who Ate The Cake? is the first in a series of picture books written in the classic 'choose your own adventure' style - with no right or wrong choice, choose from 6 different endings.

A hardback version will be available shortly in bookstores in Australia, UK and Hong Kong.